McCallum out of the race after missing deadline

Former Surrey mayor Doug McCallum says he's finished with politics after failing to file his nomination papers on time, in his bid to replace Gurmant Grewal as the Conservative candidate in the riding of Newton-North Delta.

McCallum says he was not given proper notice of the nomination deadline, and was surprised to get a call on Friday morning telling him he had just two hours to file his papers.

He says he had talked with riding president Jim Holt earlier in the week, and that there was no mention about when nominations would close.

"I never did get the support of the riding association or the president. And so they set up a structure to get the nomination papers in. Unrealistically, I was given two hours to get my nomination papers in and filled out, and these are 35 pages long."

• FROM DEC.1, 2005: McCallum planning to replace Grewal

McCallum says he had been asked to run in Newton-North Delta by Conservative campaign co-chair John Reynolds earlier in the week. He notes that the former MP for the riding, Gurmant Grewal, had also offered his support.

But he doesn't think he was the type of Conservative the local riding executive felt comfortable with.

"And I think that they looked at me they are a very, very strong Reform part of the Conservatives, the riding association and the president and I don't think they liked the moderate sort of Conservative that I am."

One candidate did get his nomination in on time. B.C. Fisheries Survival Coalition president Phil Eidsvik says he rushed back from Calgary on Friday morning after he received a call the day before.

Eidsvik was acclaimed at the nomination meeting on Sunday night.

It's the second major political setback for McCallum in the past two week. He lost the mayor's race in Surrey to Dianne Watts on Nov. 19 after nine years in office. McCallum says he is now ready to leave politics for a career in business.

• FROM NOV. 29, 2005: Controversial Surrey MP bows out

The Newton-North Delta Conservative nomination had become available after Grewal announced he was stepping aside for the good of the party.

He came to national attention earlier this year. after releasing secret recordings of conversations with senior Liberals. He claimed the tapes showed the Liberals had offered plum jobs to him and is wife also a Tory MP in Surrey for their support in a non-confidence vote.

• FOR THE RECORD: Doug McCallum spoke to CBC about his experience, beginning with his conditions for running in the first place.